The present invention relates to a multi-terminal electric connector requiring a low insertion and removal force, in which a male casing fitted in a female casing is slid horizontally parallel to the fitting surface of the female casing by using a push member, to put male and female terminals into and out of contact with each other.
In a conventional multi-terminal electric connector such as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, a male casing 100 is inserted into and withdrawn from a female casing 101 in the same direction as male terminals 103 are inserted into and withdrawn from female terminals 102. The female terminal 102 has an elastic contact member 104 and the male terminal 103 has a tab-like portion 105. In the illustrated structure, the length Lf of the mutual fitting stroke of the male and the female terminals 103 and 102 needs to be equal to the sum of the length L.sub.1 of the body portion of the elastic contact member 104 and the length L.sub.2 of the tip portion thereof.
If the force for inserting the male casing 100 into the female casing 101 to connect each pair of male and female terminals 103 and 102 to each other is about 500 g, the total of the forces for 20 pairs of male and female terminals 103 and 102 is about 10 kg (=20.times.500 g). Besides, a locking force needs to be applied to both the male and the female casings 100 and 101. As a result, it is difficult to fit the male and the female casings 100 and 101 to each other by human hands.
A screw-tightened multi-terminal electric connector, for which a screw tightening force and a tool such as an impact wrench are utilized, then was proposed for 60 to 90 pairs of male and female terminals, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications (OPI) Nos. 149612/87 and 188188/87 (the term "OPI" as used herein means in "unexamined published application") However, if a screw tightening force and a tool such as an impact wrench are utilized for a screw-tightened multi-terminal electric connector having about 20 to 40 pairs of male and female terminals, the cost of the connector per pair of terminals is so high, because of the embed-molding of bolts and nuts and so forth, that it is difficult to provide the connector for practical use.
In a multi-terminal electric connector having about 20 to 40 pairs of male and female terminals, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 203581/86, male and- female casings and the male and the female terminals are fitted to each other by utilizing a cam following slide. However, since the male and the female terminals are fitted to each other in the longitudinal directions thereof as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, insertion of the male casing into the female casing, and removal of the male casing from the male casing still require a large force.